[Tutor] Slightly OT - Python/Java

[Liam Clarke]

> 
> > Personally, I should've learnt Java first (although my success at that
> > without my Python experiences would've been limited.)
> 
> I don;t know why you think that would help?
> Or do you mean Java before Jython? If so it depends
> what you intend using Jython for!

I meant learning Java prior to Python. Then, I could've doubled my
elation at discovering Python, having had something to compare it to,
whereas now I've got to grit my teeth and force myself to code.


> No, its allegedly for reliability reasons - if it compiles then
> you should never get a runtime eror due to the wrong kind of
> object being passed. I used to believe passionately in that
> principle, now, after using Python I'm not so convinced it
> matters as much as I thought. THe type conversion functions
> in Java(and C++) can do funny things to data that bring their
> own problems!


So it's protecting me from my own bad programming?
Does that have to be built into a compiler? Couldn't it be an optional
switch and I wear my bad code if it fails? *mutter*

> Its worth learnoing at least one statically/strictly typed language.
> There are some advantages but for me they are outweighed by
> the disadvantages, but then I'm not selling commercial software
> that gets benchmarked against my cometitorsin PC Magazine etc...
> In that scenario every millisecond counts!

I do need to learn a... commercially wide spread language.... but I
think if I ever got that serious about milliseconds, it'd be time to
learn Cpp & mesh it with Python.

(5 seconds difference over 10 million iterations, That's 0.0000005
seconds difference per iteration. That's not overly bad.)


Actually, I have the Intel assembler manuals at home, haven't even
looked at 'em. If we're going for speed...

Ah pity. I was hoping I could code for the JVM in Python style; I'd
have to learn Java anyway, but I was thinking long, long term, beyond
my public service walls.

Regards,

Liam Clarke


-- 
'There is only one basic human right, and that is to do as you damn well please.
And with it comes the only basic human duty, to take the consequences.